Paint rollers are used for rapid paint application in both interior and exterior painting jobs. The roller or sleeve is rotatably mounted on a roller frame which includes a rotatable roller support and a handle. Paint is applied to the nap on the outer surface of the roller either by dipping the roller into a paint bucket with a wide enough mouth to accept the roller (e.g., a conventional 5 gallon plastic paint bucket) or dipping the roller into paint disposed in a paint tray.
One of the problems with using a paint roller in either of the above-identified situations is that invariably excess paint is left on the sides of the roller and on the endcaps of the roller support adjacent the roller sides. Such excess paint on the sides of the roller and roller support endcaps drips off as the roller is being moved from the bucket or tray to the surface to be painted. Paint continues to drip off the roller sides and roller support endcaps as the roller is being rolled over the surface to be painted. The excess paint adhering to the sides of the roller and roller support endcaps every time the roller is dipped or immersed in paint constitutes a continuing waste of paint.
Additionally, even when the roller is applied to the painting surface, the excess paint on the roller sides and roller support endcaps continues to be a problem for the painter. If the painter is painting a ceiling of a room, for example, the excess paint from the sides of the roller drips onto the painter, the roller frame handle, the painter's ladder and/or scaffolding, and areas of the room not intended to be painted such as the floor, walls, doors, windows, woodwork, etc., wasting additional paint and requiring the painter to expend time cleaning paint from himself or herself, his or her equipment and paint drops and splatters falling on areas of the room not intended to be painted. Even if painting a vertical wall, excess paint from the side of the roller and roller support endcaps drips down the wall requiring the painter to reroll over sections already painted to remove the drip lines. Paint may also drip down the roller frame onto the painter's hand and roller handle, again necessitating additional nonproductive clean up time by the painter.
What is needed is an apparatus for wiping excess paint from the sides of a paint roller and roller support endcaps when the roller is used by dipping the roller a paint container.
What is also needed is an apparatus for draining paint from the outer surface of a roller when the roller is used by dipping the roller in a paint container.